This console headset, announced at CES this year, is finally available for purchase. It offers 3D sound in a pair of high-end headphones along with a wireless dongle that sits behind the console and is nearly invisible. We had a few seconds with the headset today and they looked pretty solid, an important consideration when you’re talking about something that will eventually end up under the couch in a fit of pique.
The headphones are available now for $199. → Read More
Creative is offering their new PMPs, the ZEN M300. Price at $40 to $90 these tiny MP3/Video players have Bluetooth support and a micro-SD slot and FM radio. They come in 4, 8, and 16GB sizes and they come in black, white, red or yellow. The M100 is exactly the same but without Bluetooth.
Creative has been doing great stuff in the speaker world recently, especially with their unique Bluetooth docks. While not quite as mainstream as they once were, these deserve a second look. → Read More
The Creative ZiiO 10 isn’t exactly a secret. The Creative UK store posted its product page a few weeks ago, but the simple fact that the device is sitting with the kind folk at the FCC seems to state that a US release is immanent. Everything is available in the FCC docs: external photos, internal photos, user manuals, nearly everything but a price sheet. → Read More
I first got the Creative D5 and D200 speakers way back in June and have just gotten around to cracking them open and trying them out. It’s hard to write about a 2.0 speaker set simply because it’s not extremely super-exciting on the surface. However, if you’re looking for a good, wireless speaker system for the bedroom or kitchen, these are two kids that are worth looking into. The D200 costs $129 while the D5 is a bit more expensive at $300. The primary difference is that the D5 includes a miniature Bluetooth adapter for iPods and iPhones. → Read More
I’ve been following Creative for so long I feel like they’re old friends to me. I’ve been impressed over the years with their MP3 player line but they, like so many audio manufacturers, have seen the writing on the wall and the future isn’t in making the MP3 players – it’s in making the stuff that works with MP3 players. To wit: here we present the Zii Sound D5 and D200 Bluetooth speakers. I also saw the D100, a $69 entry-level set for the younger crowd, but those aren’t shipping for another month. The D5, at $299.99 is my absolute favorite. Clad in black plastic and chrome accents, this kit has a surprise – a fully portable iPod/iPad dock that turns your device into a remote control. → Read More
While we reviewed it a few weeks ago, Creative’s World of Warcraft headset hasn’t been available for purchase until today. Time to get your geek on! → Read More
Short Version: Fresh from the box, Creative’s World of Warcraft, is here! They were designed for WoW players and their performance definitely reflects that. While a tad bulky, they don’t feel heavy.
Pros
• Very Comfortable
• Hard to hear outside the headphones
• Wireless Mic works well. Does not get in the way.
• Driver allows deep customization of audio to serve your needs.
Cons
• No way to determine battery power.
• Volume buttons feel a little flimsy.
• Microphone can adjust but not very well.
• In order to download drivers, you must register the product.
• Reasonable but not impressive range.
• Not compatible with consoles (at least the PS3) → Read More
Creative is finally giving up some details on the World of Warcraft headset that they showed off at BlizzCon and CES. The price is a bit higher then we’d all like, with an MSRP of $159.99 for the wireless version, and $119.99 for the wired version. They do look cool though, I like the choice between the Horde and Alliance artwork lit up on the sides. → Read More
We’re withholding judgment on the Zii platform until somebody really gets a chance to use it in a final form (you can see video of it running Android here), but little did we know that Creative has more planned for the vaguely-defined media platform than PMPs. They’ve just announced that we can expect a sort of media player/e-book reader with the Zii branding sometime… sometime in the next couple years I’d say. They actually showed a unit, boasting about its color touchscreen, but apparently nobody thought to take pictures. So we’re all left wondering — but whatever you’re picturing in your head right now is probably about right.
Except you there, with the freckles. What you’re thinking is wrong. So, so wrong. → Read More
This could be the most important week in the history of Creation. Blizzcon starts on Friday—once again Blizzard reminded me in an e-mail that I can purchase the Web stream or DirecTV pay-per-view for $40—and we’re sure to be hanging on the company’s every word re: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Today’s hot news is that Creative will release a World of Warcraft-branded headset in November. Look for it around $100-$150. → Read More
Creative’s uber-device, the Zii, is looking to be a firecracker. With dual cameras, lots of space inside, and Android compatibility as well as Creative’s Plaszma OS, it looks like it may out-Touch the Touch.
Not only this, but it’s been revealed that the Zii also will be the first to run a specialized version of Opera. I trust Opera to go all in with a mobile browser like this; I have fond memories of the Ocean’s Opera Mini browser, and this should be ten times better. → Read More
Creative made a small splash the other day when the Zii project broke cover. It very well could be the first, real iPod touch competitor thanks to Android and impressive hardware. Here’s two more videos showing off the Zii. The one above is an impressive game demo that demos the accelerometer and the one after the break gets into the nitty-gritty about the hardware. → Read More
Creative makes MP3 players. They do a good job. I like Creative. Good people over there. A good company.
But I got this email today describing Creative’s plans with the new Zii handheld and I was immediately struck by a question: What the hell is this Plaszma Zii StemCell garbage? → Read More
Ah, there we go — a little more info about Creative’s mysterious “Zii” project. It now appears to be an iPod touch-like device, called the Zii EGG, running Android. Interesting… I’m listening. → Read More
Some FCC documents have been filed by Creative which clearly outline (so to speak) a media player with a nice, big touch screen and an “HD” camera, which bespeaks 720p or better. The “Egg” version apparently is for developers, although I’d like to have “developer edition on mine anyway.
Beyond that everything is pretty much speculation, so we’ll just let you look at the picture for a while. → Read More
Creative Japan today announced the ZEN MX [JP], a portable media player that will be available in Nippon starting at the beginning of next month. The company plans to offer an 8GB (ZN-ZMX8G-BK) and 16GB (ZN-ZMX16G-BK) model, both featuring a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 320×240 resolution. → Read More
It’s about time; we’ve had Creative sound cards in our PCs for decades. It was only natural they should move to cars. JC Hyun Systems has developed the RUNZ CI-700, the first automobile infotainment system to use Creative’s X-Fi technology. The RUNZ CI-7100 features a MMSP2 MPEG video hardware engine, SiRF III GPS chipset, and Creative’s X-Fi audio processor, all which are operated by an Intel Dual-core 360/300 MHz processor.
Consider your ride PMPed. → Read More
“Fire the Zii device!”
“But my lord! We still have men on the ground!”
“Silence, fool! Move the X-Fi gunships out of the area and prepare the Audigy for a ground assault. And fire the thing.”
“We don’t even know what its effect is, my lord!”
“Lieutenant, everything you know is about to change.” → Read More
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